If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond.

This book is been around for more than 25 years and is still a fun read for children. When a little boy gives a mouse a cookie, he begins a long chain of events that circle back to the beginning. It begins “If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask you for straw.” And so it continues back to the cookie.

This is a fun game to play with your child. Start with any animal and any food. For example, if you give a monkey banana… You can take turns adding to the story. Kudos to anyone who can work their way back to the banana after several tangents.

The sequel of this book, If You Give a Dog a Doughnut, is basically the very same format as the first. It could be a good introduction to the game but I wouldn’t recommend buying it in addition to the original. It isn’t anything you couldn’t come up with yourself after reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I was expecting more.

After reading these books, it’s also fun to discuss things that go together like cookies and milk, such as peanut butter and jam, pancakes and syrup, etc. Maybe you and your child can come up with some original ideas like gold and fingers, splinters and tweezers, and peanut brittle and dentures.

I’d give the sequel three out of five stars for originality, but the first book is definitely a five.